by Sky Corgan
We walked inside and waited to be seated. The entire time, I found myself staring at Melinda while she wasn't looking. There was no ring on her finger, so I could only assume she hadn't replaced her ex-husband yet. Of course, that didn't mean she wasn't dating someone. I hoped she was dating someone. Even though Dominick had shown nothing but disdain towards her, I didn't like the idea of the two of them being alone together.
“So, how long have you known Dominick?” I asked after we were seated and the waitress came to take our orders.
“Since Behind Her Green Eyes.”
“Wow. Since the beginning then.”
“Yes. Since the beginning.” She grinned fondly. “And you've known Dominick since before the beginning. You're Tammy's sister.”
“He told you that, huh?” I pushed a strand of hair behind my ear nervously.
“There's not much he doesn't tell me. He leads a rather boring life. When there's something to talk about, it's not hard to get him to talk.”
“I suppose. What else has he told you about me?”
“That you make him happy.”
“Right now I just feel like a burden. He told me after you left the other day that his production has fallen since I moved in.”
“It's true, but I don't think he minds it.”
“Your publishing company minds it though.”
“Well, yes, but that's because it's a company. Companies like their employees to pick up on production, not to slack off.”
“But I thought his production was already higher than most.”
“It is, but that only means he's held to higher expectations.”
“That's what he said too.”
“Listen, Kim, I know it might be hard for a while, but I'd appreciate it if you and Dominick had as little contact as possible these next few months while he's finishing up his contract. I talked to him about getting you a short-term apartment, but he refused. So, we're just going to have to make this work out somehow. If there's anything you need, come to me first, not him. If you need to go to the store, or you want to get out of the house, just ask, and I'll be happy to take you wherever you need to go.”
“I didn't realize I was that much of a hindrance to him that I should move out,” I grumbled.
“Not a hindrance, but a distraction. None of this is meant to offend you, I just don't think you realize how far behind he's gotten, and it's not just his life that's affected. I wouldn't be speaking so bluntly with you if it wasn't important.”
“Alright,” I sighed. “I'll do my best to distance myself while he finishes up these novels. But afterward, your company better start being more reasonable. Dom is a person. He's not some machine that can pump novels out at the same pace forever. People's lives change. They need to understand that.”
“Businesses don't particularly care about the lives of their employees. They care about deadlines and money. They're greedy. You'd do well to remember that for when you graduate from college.”
We spent the rest of the meal talking about other stuff, like Melinda's nasty divorce and how Dominick had helped her through it. That was why they were on more of a friendly than professional basis.
“I got that stupid fucking car though. He loved that car. It was a small victory with him getting the house, if you could even call it a victory. I honestly don't know if he was pissed that I got the car. I like to think of him sitting in our house stewing over it, not that he couldn't just go down and buy another one. As far as I know, he didn't though.
“Now he's shacked up with some bimbo half my age and the house is on the market. He took it from me out of spite, the nasty bastard. That's what I get for marrying a lawyer though. They're crooked, every one of them.”
I could only sit there and cringe as I listened to the story. It sounded absolutely horrible.
“Anyway, Dominick let me stay with him while I got my life back together. He helped me heal from the divorce. He's such a good man, selfless and kind,” she sighed at a happy memory that only made me shift uncomfortably in my seat. I was scared to think about what she was recalling of her time with Dominick. Was it more than just friendly? Part of me feared so, but I was too afraid to ask.
I was never happier than when the waiter dropped off our bill. While Melinda had been very nice to me, there was something about her that I didn't like. Some part of me refused to like her. Even though she was only there for business, she seemed like a threat to me. Maybe it was her beauty. Perhaps it was the fact that she had spent time alone with Dominick before I had come along to claim the spot as his girlfriend. Maybe it was even because they were closer in age. I really wasn't sure. All I knew was that I couldn't wait for the next few months to hurry up and pass so that she would go away, and things could return to the way they were before.
When we returned to the condo, I spent the rest of the afternoon locked in my bedroom doing homework and playing online. Melinda set herself up in the living room with her laptop and ereader, planning to stick around until however long she felt it was necessary. I'm honestly not sure when she left, because I fell asleep before then.
The next afternoon, she was on the loveseat again when I came home. And by the following afternoon, I decided to submit to the fact that she would probably be a permanent fixture in the condo until Dominick finished writing all the books that he owed her.
On Saturday, I tried to wake up early and cook Dominick a proper breakfast. He was complaining that I had spoiled him and that pop tarts just weren't cutting it. Melinda arrived before I had even finished cooking, and welcomed herself to join us. That would have been all well and good, except for that she chastised me while we were eating for going off of her plan. I sulked, feeling like a child who was being reprimanded for doing something wrong. Hell, I was only trying to feed my boyfriend a decent meal.
After that, I decided it was better if I left for the day. The more time I spent around Melinda, the less I could stand her, and while I didn't particularly want to leave her alone with Dominick, I knew I wouldn't be able to make it through the day locked in my room like some prisoner. That's what we both felt like with her around, prisoners.
“I'm going out with Victor,” I told Dominick as I walked past his office on my way toward the door.
He grunted at me, probably too afraid to argue and incite Melinda's wrath. It was pleasant to know that I wouldn't have to deal with fighting him, but a bit unsettling that he had given up so easily. A tremor of suspicion ran through my mind. Maybe he wants you to leave. Maybe he wants to be alone with her. Maybe there's something else going on between them.
I quickly shoved it to the back of my mind. If there was something going on between them, then surely he wouldn't act so miserable every time she was around. No. It was probably just my imagination playing tricks on me, making things out to be something they weren't. Trust. You need to trust him, as he trusts you.
Victor picked me up and we headed to the theater, then we went shopping at the mall and finished off the night at Chili's. He was such a good sport, following me around into all the various clothing stores, watching me try on outfits, and giving me his opinion, whether I liked it or not. If Victor was one thing, he was bluntly honest. It was like there wasn't much of a filter between his mouth and his brain. That wasn't always a bad thing, unless we started talking about Dominick, which we did once we had gotten seated at a booth in the restaurant.
“On a scale of one to ten, how pretty is this woman?” Victor asked while he unrolled his silverware.
“Like how pretty do I think she is or how pretty do I think a guy would think she is?”
“It's kind of the same thing, really. Women know when other women are attractive. Just like men know when other men are attractive. Most straight people are just scared to admit it.”
“Well, she is really pretty, for an older woman.”
“Bringing age into it?” He smirked.
“She's not that much older. She told me the other day that her ex-husband is dating
someone half her age, so that means she has to be at least thirty six.”
“If that's older to you, then I guess it won't be much longer before Dominick reaches his expiration date,” Victor teased.
“Oh, shut it. That's not what I meant.”
“Do enlighten me. I must confess, I'm a bit confused.”
“She's pretty. Okay? Gorgeous, even.”
“So, she's a threat.”
“No. Yes. I don't know. Her and Dom have been friends for a long time. And she says she's there strictly for business. She's being really mean to him, so I don't see how something could be going on between them.”
“You never know. Some guys like being rough handled.”
“I can't picture anyone rough handling Dom.”
“Well, the point is that she's there all day with him, every day, and you're not.”
“No. The point is that she's there on business. Why are you always trying to get me worked up over the littlest things?” I knitted my eyebrows.
“This isn't exactly a little thing, Kim. Think about it. This woman just shows up, starts spending copious amounts of time with Dominick, and is trying to push you out of the picture.”
I shook my head in frustration. “It's not like that. You just don't understand, okay.”
“I may not understand the situation, but I understand men. If you give a man the opportunity to be with a beautiful woman, he's going to take it. What better opportunity is there than being alone with her all day.”
“I hate it when you get like this. I really do. It feels like you go out of your way to try to break us up sometimes.”
“I don't. I go out of my way to open your eyes to reality.”
“And the reality is that she's here on business, trying to get Dominick back on track.”
“The reality is that she lived with Dominick for a while, which means they definitely had sex together, and now she's using business as an excuse to keep you away from him.”
“I don't want to talk about this anymore.” I crossed my arms over my chest, sinking into the booth.
“Fine,” he relented, moving on to a different topic, though my mood was already ruined.
For the rest of meal, I listened to Victor talk about the project he was working on in his computer game development class. Most of what he was saying went in one ear and out the other, since my mind was almost entirely focused on the things he had said about Dominick and Melinda. Though I knew I shouldn't let them bother me, he had watered the seed of doubt that my subconscious had already planted, and it was beginning to grow.
By some miracle, Melinda was on her way out when Victor dropped me off after dinner. She smiled warmly at me, telling me that Dominick had been a good boy and she had decided to give him the rest of the night off. How thoughtful of you, I thought bitterly. And what do you mean by he has been a good boy?
When I entered Dominick's office, he seemed grumpy as usual, staring at the screen in disgust. For a while, I didn't even think he was going to acknowledge me, but then he turned, and I almost wished he hadn't.
“Thirty pages,” he said. “I've written thirty pages, and I hate every one of them.”
“Well, Melinda says you have the rest of the night off, so I wouldn't worry about it anymore.”
“They expect me to write, but they don't care if it's good or not.”
“It would seem that way.”
He huffed before pulling himself out of the chair and walking past me without so much as a glance. His dismissive actions stung, and it made me realize how physically distant we'd become since Melinda arrived. Suddenly, I was craving intimacy with him something fierce, but I was too scared to approach him. I simply stood there, depressed and lost in thought until I heard the shower head in the bathroom turn on. Then I knew there was no point of standing there any longer, so I retreated to my room to get my clothes ready for my own shower.
As I stepped under the spray of warm water, my mind flooded with memories of things Victor had said, of things Melinda had said, and of the way Dominick had been acting. Victor was wrong. Melinda was there strictly for business. If what was going on between Dominick and Melinda was anything different, he wouldn't have been able to hold onto his miserable disposition for so long. I knew Dominick well enough to know he wasn't acting. He was truly unhappy when Melinda was around, and as sick as it sounded, that thought made me happy—that one thought was keeping me sane.
It felt like a lot of my worries washed away with the shower, and I emerged in a better frame of mind. Dominick was parked on the loveseat, watching the news half-asleep. I climbed onto the small space beside him and rested my head against his shoulder, inhaling the scent of soap and clean skin. Just touching him brought naughty thoughts to mind. It felt like it had been forever since we'd last had sex, not since that awkward phone call with my sister. Dominick was too tired to initiate though; I knew that. Maybe it would be alright if I did it just this once.
I started by kissing his shoulder, feeling his hard flesh beneath my lips. He smiled warmly at me, though there was no lust behind his eyes, only exhaustion. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all.
“Can I sleep with you tonight?” I asked, sounding small and innocent.
“If by sleep with me, you mean in the literal sense. I'm too tired for anything else, Kimlet.”
“I know. I meant it in the literal sense. I just . . . miss you, is all.” I nuzzled my face against his.
“I know. I miss you too.”
“We should have showered together.”
“We should have, but I wasn't thinking.”
“It's alright. Next time.”
He grabbed the remote and turned off the television, signaling that it was time for us to go to bed. I wasn't very tired, but I wasn't about to miss out on a chance to cuddle. Whatever physical time I could get with Dominick, I was going to take. Tomorrow, it would be back to ignoring each other like we didn't exist.
We laid in bed together in the darkness, our naked bodies entwined to where my head was resting comfortably on his chest. Just the feel of his skin caused deep stirring inside of me, and it took everything in me to keep my hands to myself. What would he do if I slid my hand between his legs, gripped his manhood, and started fondling him? The soft snoring sound just above my head told me that I had lost my chance to find out. Poor guy. He was so tired all the time now. I couldn't help but wonder when we would get the chance to have sex again. With Melinda around constantly, it would probably be a while. Hopefully, he'd catch up on his work soon, and she would leave. Being ignored wasn't fun, and I honestly didn't know if I could handle several more months of it.
Melinda knocked on the door bright and early the next morning, and I hated her for it. It seemed like with each passing day I liked her less and less. Of course, she hadn't really done anything to cause me to dislike her. She was just there. But still, her just being there disrupted my life, and it was starting to make me crabby. I was beginning to worry that by the time she left, Dominick and I would both be permanently moody. That wouldn't be very fun.
In an attempt to save my sanity, I called Victor again to see if he wanted to hang out. He was busy though, so I ended up tagging along with Carmen and her friends. We went to the mall, which kind of sucked since I had just been there the day before. I wasn't going to argue about it though. I was just there to tag along.
They talked about boys and fashion and makeup like little high school girls. Not that I didn't enjoy talking about those things, they were just all so dramatic about it. Half the day was spent rolling my eyes while I trailed behind them like a lost puppy, while the other half was spent feigning interest in their conversations as if I actually knew the people they were talking about.
Even though I wasn't having the best time, I was grateful for the distraction and didn't want it to end. I even followed them to one of the girl's houses for a makeover party. That was a bit more fun, doing each other's hair and makeup and being pampered. It would have been bett
er if I had someone to show it all off to when I got home. Melinda was the only one who got to see me before I stepped into the shower and washed it all away. Dominick was off limits.
Monday rolled around, and I was thankful that I didn't have to search for something to do. Between school and riding the bus, I was well occupied for most of the day. The few hours that I spent locked in my room at night weren't so torturous with homework to fill the void.
The week dragged on, and I found myself in a constant state of discontent. Every afternoon, I'd come home and Melinda would be there serving as a fleshy barrier between Dominick and I. Most days, she'd stay until I went to bed.
As I walked around the condo, I had to endure the sound of duel keyboards tapping away. Melinda in the living room. Dominick in his office. Tap. Tap. Tapping away. It felt like our home had turned into one big office, and I hated it.
Things did get better with time, though not for me. Dominick began adapting to Melinda's harsh schedule, and while he wasn't any less tired, he did seem happier. Instead of staying in his office all the time, he'd come out on occasion to talk with Melinda. Rarely did he visit my room to check on me. They were getting really friendly, and though I tried to push suspicious thoughts to the back of my mind, it was starting to bother me.
It wasn't until Dominick finished the first of the three novels that Melinda finally gave him a day off. To my dismay, he decided to celebrate it by taking the three of us out to lunch. You'd think that after being locked to his desk for so long with that insufferable woman nagging at his back, he'd want to get away from her and actually spend some time alone with his real girlfriend, but that wasn't the case.
At the restaurant, I found myself feeling alienated. They laughed and discussed work as if I wasn't even there, though Melinda was gracious enough to ask me a question from time to time that would bring me back into the conversation. It was really beginning to feel like I was losing my boyfriend, like I was slowly being replaced by this older more mature woman, this gorgeous woman with beautiful blonde hair, a killer body, and a great career. Hell, compared to me, she had everything going for her. Why wouldn't he want her instead?